Rigs for illuminating fields and methods of illuminating plants

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a mobile rig configured to control a photoperiodic response of a photoperiodically sensitive plant subject (e.g., a short-day plant) planted in an open field. The mobile rig includes a support structure; wheels; and light sources attached to the support structure at a position for emitting light on an upper surface of the photoperiodically sensitive plant subject. The mobile rig includes or is coupled to a control circuit having processing circuitry configured to cause the mobile rig to navigate across an open field having the photoperiodically sensitive plant subject planted therein and selectively illuminate the photoperiodically sensitive plant subject using the light sources attached to the mobile rig, for instance, during nighttime hours in a wavelength range between approximately 250 nm and approximately 800 nm to control the photoperiodic response of the photoperiodically sensitive plant subject planted therein.

Therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
       1. A mobile rig configured to control a photoperiodic response of at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject planted in an open field, comprising:
 a support structure; 
 a plurality of wheels; 
 a plurality of light sources attached to at least the support structure at a position for emitting light on an upper surface of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject; and 
 a control circuit comprising processing circuitry configured to:
 control operation of the wheels to cause the mobile rig to travel across the open field having the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject planted therein; and 
 selectively illuminate the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject using the light sources attached to the mobile rig during nighttime hours in a wavelength range between approximately 250 nm and approximately 800 nm while the mobile rig navigates the open field to control the photoperiodic response of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject planted therein, wherein the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject is a short-day plant and selectively illuminating the short-day plant is performed periodically during nighttime hours such that the short-day plant is not subject to nighttime light conditions for more than about 12 hours, about 10 hours, about 8 hours, or about 6 hours. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The mobile rig of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the mobile rig further comprises an irrigation system positioned thereon, the irrigation system comprising a plurality of sprinklers; and 
 the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to selectively illuminate the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject after an irrigation of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject performed using the irrigation system, the irrigation not being performed more than 24 hours prior to the selective illumination of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject. 
 
     
     
       3. The mobile rig of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to selectively illuminate the short-day plant by selectively illuminating the short-day plant with a flash of light of about 1 millisecond, about 1 second, about 2 minutes, about 3 minutes, about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 15 minutes, or about 30 minutes. 
     
     
       4. The mobile rig of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to selectively control the photoperiodic response of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject using the light sources by selectively emitting the light in the wavelength range for about 3 minutes to about 15 minutes. 
     
     
       5. The mobile rig of  claim 1 , wherein the short-day plant comprises one of:  Stevia rebaudiana, artemisia annua, oryza, crocus sativus, chrysanthemum  (morfolium),  dendranthema grandiflora, kalanchoe blossfeldiana, euphorbia pulcherrima, pharbitis  nil,  Cannabis sativa, glycine max, xanthium strumarium , and  saccharum.    
     
     
       6. The mobile rig of  claim 1 , wherein the light sources comprise a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) light sources, the LED light sources being at least one of: polarized, plane-polarized, circularly polarized, elliptically polarized, unpolarized, and collimated. 
     
     
       7. The mobile rig of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to:
 control a constant rate at which the mobile rig is moved, as determined and input to the processing circuitry by a user, the constant rate being determined as a function of at least one aspect of a design of the mobile rig, at least one attribute of the light sources utilized in the mobile rig, an intensity of the light sources, a type of the short-day plant, and at least one aspect of a current nighttime condition. 
 
     
     
       8. The mobile rig of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to cause the mobile rig to move from a first position to a second position in the open field. 
     
     
       9. The mobile rig of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure is a main rig arm, the light sources being coupled to an underside of the main rig arm. 
     
     
       10. A system for controlling a photoperiodic response of at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject planted in an open field, comprising:
 a mobile rig, comprising:
 a support structure; 
 a plurality of wheels; 
 a plurality of light sources attached to at least the support structure at a position for emitting light on an upper surface of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject; and 
 
 a control circuit coupled to the mobile rig, the control circuit comprising processing circuitry configured to:
 control operation of the wheels to cause the mobile rig to travel across the open field having the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject planted therein; and 
 selectively illuminate the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject using the light sources attached to the mobile rig during nighttime hours in a wavelength range between approximately 250 nm and approximately 800 nm while the mobile rig navigates the open field to control the photoperiodic response of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject planted therein, 
 wherein the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject is a short-day plant and selectively illuminating the short-day plant comprises selectively illuminating the short-day plant with a flash of light of about 1 millisecond, about 1 second, about 2 minutes, about 3 minutes, about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 15 minutes, or about 30 minutes. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the mobile rig further comprises an irrigation system positioned thereon, the irrigation system comprising a plurality of sprinklers; and 
 the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to selectively illuminate the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject after an irrigation of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject performed using the irrigation system, the irrigation not being performed more than 24 hours prior to the selective illumination of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to selectively illuminate the short-day plant by selectively controlling, by the control circuit of the mobile rig, the photoperiodic response of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject using the light sources by selectively emitting the light in the wavelength range for about 3 minutes to about 15 minutes. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to selectively control the photoperiodic response of the at least one photoperiodically sensitive plant subject using the light sources by selectively emitting the light in the wavelength range for about 3 minutes to about 15 minutes. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the short-day plant comprises one of:  Stevia rebaudiana, artemisia annua, oryza, crocus sativus, chrysanthemum  (morfolium),  dendranthema grandiflora, kalanchoe blossfeldiana, euphorbia pulcherrima, pharbitis  nil,  Cannabis sativa, glycine max, xanthium strumarium , and  saccharum.    
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the light sources comprise a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) light sources, the LED light sources being at least one of: polarized, plane-polarized, circularly polarized, elliptically polarized, unpolarized, and collimated. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to:
 control a constant rate at which the mobile rig is moved, as determined and input to the processing circuitry by a user, the constant rate being determined as a function of at least one aspect of a design of the mobile rig, at least one attribute of the light sources utilized in the mobile rig, an intensity of the light sources, a type of the short-day plant, and at least one aspect of a current nighttime condition. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry of the control circuit is further configured to cause the mobile rig to move from a first position to a second position in the open field. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the support structure is a main rig arm, the light sources being coupled to an underside of the main rig arm.